Sheet-heating means



Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED vSTATES LEONARD D. SOUBIER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO,

Assrenoia'` To THE Lineair-OWENS` SHEET GLASS COMPANY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ysI-:rnnrr-HEATING MEANS.

Application iled March 25, 1925. Serial No. 18,100.

The present invention relates to sheet glass apparatus, and has particular reference to means for heating a sheet of glass which is to be deflected from one plane t another.

`An important Object of the invention 1s tolprovide means for continuously drawing a sheet of glass from a. source of -molten glass, and includes means for deflecting the sheet from one plane to another.

A further object of Ythezinvention is to provide means for heating a sheet of glass which is being deflected from one plane to another by means of indirect heat, thus permitting a uniform treatment of the glass being acted upon. j

Still another' object is to provide apparatus of this nature wherein a sheet of glass is bentfrom one plane to another, and in` cludesa chamber arranged in proximity to the point Where@ the sheet is being bent, whereby heated air may be caused to pass and act upon the sheet suiciently to soften the sheet to facilitate bending or' defiecting thereof Other objects and` advantages of .the in'-` vention Will `become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the 4drawingswherein like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout the same.

F ig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion .of the apparatus, and Fig.V 2 is a transverse` vertical section therethrough. i

This invention is particularly,Well-adapted for use in conjunction with the machine rdisclosed in the ColburnPatent 1,248,809, grantedDec." il, y1917, wherein a sheet 5 is drawn from apool ofmolten glass-6 con tained in a draw-pot 7 which is supported upon the stools 8'. The. draw-pot' 7 is in open comnmnicationA `With a.v tank furnace 9 by which means the meniscusy orsheet source 10 is. continuouslyreplenished, Sheet edge engaging rolls l1 are provided to engage both sidesof the sheet Aat its edges to retard the HOW of glass into the said edges, Whereby the sheet is held to Width after it has been formed. Cover-titles 12 are provided to protect the sheet from heat currents present in and around the machine. The sheet 5 is deiiected over a so-called bendingV roll 13 so that the sheet may be passed in a horizontalplane over an idler roll 14, draw table 15, and through an annealing leer which is not shown.

' It is customary in the actual' use of the Colburn machine to apply an open flame to the sheet before and as it passesover the bending roll 13 to sufficiently soften the glass to permit of deflection without injury to the same. This is due to the fact that the sheet from the time it leaves the meniscus 10 `until it reaches;l the bending' roll 13 has set up or become so viscous that Without the heatingA as by the open Aiame,thel sheet may be injured or Warped. The heating softens the glass just enough to enable it to be bent at right angles Without serious damage. It Will readily be `understood however that it is almost impossible to apply an open gasflame directly'to the sheet and have a heating ac tion Auniform throughout the; entire` Width of the sheet. In. view of the fact that theheating is not uniform the sheet is not softened throughout its entire Width to the same extent, and it believed that: this unequal heating ofthe sheet has a tendency to create Waves and other defects in the sheet.

An aim of thev present invention is to provide a heatingcliamber in. proximity to ythe bending roll -13 so thatfthe .sheet may be heated; indirectly by a uniform blast of heat'- ed air. The chamber 1G is provided with a' centrally adjustable gate or valve member 17 which is shown as being diagrammatieally supported bythe cable` 41S by which means it may be"adjustedthrough' the slot 19' formedin the top20 of the construction. By raising and' lowering the gate 17, the loiver ypreferably curved` end 21V Will be moved to and from the sheet passing over* the bendingV roll 13. The gate 1,7 inf; the chamber 1G creates ehannels'22 andI Q3, the channel 23 having in its upper end, a.' fiile' 24 controlled by the damper 25. Suitable heatingvmeansV Which may begin the; natureofa gas burner 26 are positioned Within the flue onpassageY 22. Thelue 24 will create a suf-` ficient dra'l't to cause a circulation ot the heated air from the passage down around the curved end of the gate 17 and up through the passage E23. In passing around the end of the gate 17 the blasts of heated air will strike the sheet being passed over the bending roll and will soften the saine suf'lciently to permit a deflection of the sheet without injury. They blast ot air will be substantially uniform in temperature throughout its entire width due to the circulation caused by the flue 23. In addition to heating the sheet uniformly, the flame and gases do not directly strike the sheet which is an advantage.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment oiE the same, and that various changes iii the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Claims:

l. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass ot' molten glass, means for deflecting the. sheet from one plane to another, means tor heating a current ot air, means tor causing the heated air to be directed downwardly upon the .sheet as it is being deflected and then drawn upwardly away therefrom, and means for controlling the intensity ot the heating action of said air on the sheet.

2. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means for deflecting the sheet from one plane to another, a chamber above and in proximity to the point where the sheet is detlected, means for creating a current of air within the chamber and for passing the same downwardly across the sheet, and means for heating the said current.

3. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet 'from a mass of molten glass, means for detlecting the sheet from one plane to another, a heating cliaiiilier ai'- ranged above and in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means to create a downward and then upward circulation ot air in the heated cliaiiiber, and means ior controlling the action of the heated air on the sheet.

4. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means for deflecting the sheet from one plane to another, a heating chamber arranged above and in proximity to the sheet attlie point where it is being deflected, means to create a downward and then upward circulation of heated air in the heated chainber, and a daiiipei for controlling the iiiteiisity of the action of said heated air on the sheet of glass.

5. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means for deflccting the sheet from one plane to another, a heating chamber arranged above and in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means to create a downward and then up ward circulation of heated air in the heated chamber, a damper for controlling the intensity ot theaction of said heated air on the sheet ot glass, and an outlet passage for said heated air after it has acted on the said sheet of glass.

(i. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means lor deflectiiig the sheet from one plane to another, a chamber arranged in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means 'for dividing the chamber into a plurality of passages, means 'for creating a cuireiitoft air adapted to pass from one passage to another, said current of air striking the sheet as it passes from one passage to another, and means 'for heating the air before it contacts with said sheet.

7. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means ttor deflecting the sheet from one plane to another, a chamber arranged in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means for dividing the chamber into a plurality of passages, means for creating a current of air adapted to pass from one passage to another, said current of air striking the sheet as it passes from one passage to another, and means 'for heating the air before it contacts with said sheet, the means between said passages being adjustable.

8. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means for deflecting the sheet from one plane to another, a chamber arranged in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means for dividing the chamber into a plurality of passages, means for creating a current of air adapted to pass `from one passage to another, said current of air striking the sheet as it passes 'from one passage to another, means `for heating the air before it contacts with said sheet, and means for controlling the intensity of the action ot the heated air upon said sheet.

9. In sheet glass apparatus, means Afor drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass, means for def'lecting the sheet from one plane to another, a chamber arranged in proximity to the sheet at the point where it is being deflected, means for dividing the chamber into a plurality of passages, means for creating a current of air adapted to pass from one passage to another, said current of air striking the sheet as it passes from one passage to another, and means for heating the air before it contacts with said sheet, the means between said passages being adlill justahle for controlling the intensity of the heated air. upon said sheet.

10. In sheet glass apparatus, means for drawing a sheet from a mass of molten glass,

5 means for delecting the sheet from one plane to another, means for heating a current of air, and means for causing the heated air to be directed downwardly upon the sheet as it is being' deected and then drawn upwardly away therefrom.

Signed at Toledo, in the County of Lucas, and State of Ohio, this 23d lday of March, 1925.

LEONARD D. SOUBIER. 

